Crutch



J. A. WEIS Filed Nov. 16, 1926 wventofc John/l. Mis

Patented July 12, 1927.

JOHN n. WEIs,

OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA.

cnUrton.

Application filed November 16,4926. -Ser-ial No. 148,696.

My said invention relates to crutches and the main objects of the invention 7are to lpro-` vide a crutch having means for absorbing shocks due to the setting of the lower endof the crutch on the surface being traversed and also to provide a crutch which is adjustable permitting its use by persons of different heights thereby obviating the necessity of making crutches of different sizes.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts, y

Figure l is a side elevation of a crut-ch constructed in accordance with my invention v Figure 2, is a similar view showing the parts in separated position, and

Figure 3, an enlarged fragmentarydetail View.

In the drawings reference character 10 indicates a bifurcated crutch staff having a pair of arms 11 extending from one end and provided with a rubber tip 12 at its opposite end. A handle. or hand grip v13 is mounted between the bifurcated arms of the crutch and a detachable arm rest 14 is resiliently supported on the upper free ends of the arms 11, such detachable arm rest being provided with a pair of substantially parallel tubes 15 having filler blocks 11, said tubes being adapted to loosely telescope a substantial distance over the side members of the crutch. A plurality of blocks 17 are disposed between each side member and the cooperating telescoping tube of the arm rest and said blocks are removable to vary the length of the crutch to suit the needs of any particular individual. A spring 16 is disposed between each set of blocks l() and the cooperating arm rest for resiliently supporting the same.

With this construction it is unnecessary to provide means for holding the parts together as the arm of the person who uses the crutch rests upon the arm rest and the hand grips the handle of the crutch by means of which the parts will be prevented from separating. Also, as shown in Fig. 3, the free arms 1l of the crutch flex loutwardly and when they are inserted in the tubular members supporting the arm rest they are slightl compressed and thus frictionally engage the wall of said tubular members, which frictional engagement prevents accidental separation.

Y, have provided a crutch vin which there are' no guide pins and slots for holding the parts 1n place and no stops and limitingidevices arenecessary for preventing accidental separation of the `parts-of the crutch. Un-

necessary resiliency between thev yhandle or hand grip and the rubber tip is alsok eliminated since an undue amountof resiliency in this location is unnecessary .since the arm of the user absorbs a certain amount of shock and the resiliency in the crutch of the present invention is in the proper position to best support the body.

My crutch may be made from the usual bifurcated crutch by sawing off the arms between 'the hand grip and arm -rest adjacent the arm rest, forcing tubes over the severed portions of the arms carried by the arm rest, inserting a spring in each of such tubes and subsequently inserting the arms of the crutch into the tubes against such springs. The lengthening blocks may be cut off from the ends of the arms or obtained from any other source desired.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in my device without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1.. The combination ofa bifurcated crutch staff having a pair of arms, a hand grip mounted between said arms, and a tubular member slidable over each of said arms said arms being held in compressed relation by said tubular members, substantially as set forth. y Y

2. A crutch comprising a bifurcated crutch stati", a hand grip mounted between the separated parts thereof, an arm rest,

tubular members depending from said arm4 inherent spring force in said arms Ywhen sprung toward each other sufficiently to enter the lower ends of the tubular members, substantially as set forth.

3. A cru-tch comprising a bifurcated sta, a hand grip appropriately positioned between the arms of said staff and of a length te spring the upper ends of said arms a considerable distance apart, an arm rest, tubula-r members depending from said arm rest and spaced apart a. distance slightly less than the normal distance between the upper ends of the arms of the staff, a series of spacing discs or blocks in said tubular members and coiled springs interposed between adjacent spacing blocks in each of said tubular members, substantially as set forth.

4. A crutch comprising a pair of arms, an arm rest, a pair of members depending from said varm rest and Vhaving connection with said pair of arms, said arms and depending members having frictional engagement maintained bythe resiliency of the parts, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Luis Obispo this 9th day of November, A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty-six.` i

JOHN A. WEIS. 

